For Valentine’s Day, my honey gave me a flame-thrower. Actually, it’s a large propane weed torch. I used it to clear the weeds and dead grass in my asparagus bed. It was much easier than turning the ground over by hand with a spading fork. It’s more fun to call it a flame-thrower, and it will come in handy. I can just imagine it helping with several chores.
I’ve cleared the garden plots and David has given each a rough till, working in composted chicken litter and potash from the burn pile. I’ve planted onion sets and bulbs. It is not too late to get those in the ground. I should have had my 25 rose bushes pruned by now, but that may be next week as it is bad to prune during rainy weather.
Quick dinners that include comfort food are my favorites this time of year – okay, any time of year. I believe a comfort food is one that reminds you of the good times from the past. So for me, that will always include pasta. Every now and then, I have a healthy carbohydrate like whole wheat pasta noodles. I also love a good creamy tomato pasta sauce. I found both in a lovely vodka pasta sauce.

Chicken in Vodka Sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vodka
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 c. fat-free Half & Half
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Lightly season each side of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper while heating olive oil in a large skillet. Sear each side of the breast for about 4 minutes. Remove breast from the pan and reserve. Saute onions until golden. Then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until you begin to smell its aroma. Then add the vodka. Let the vodka reduce, cooking off all the alcohol but leaving behind its great flavor. If you don’t have vodka, substitute with wine or even chicken broth. It won’t be the same, but it will still taste good.
Add the canned tomatoes, oregano and thyme. (Now would also be a good time to get your pasta water started.) Bring to a low simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Turn the heat down to low, cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
The pasta water should be boiling hot, so add salt and the noodles while stirring so they don’t stick together. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until al dente – that is firm to the bite, but not crunchy.
Back to the sauce, turn the heat off, remove the chicken again and stir in the Half & Half. Stir the drained pasta into the sauce and cover. Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes and then slice. Serve the pasta and sauce with sliced chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.
Seafood, like shrimp tails or scallops, also reminds me of good times – specifically when I was young and my family would go to dinner during lent to a seafood restaurant. While shopping, I saw frozen scallops for $17. Wow. The large shrimp was $6. I bought the shrimp and made a quick Friday-night dinner.

Skewered Shrimp
20-21 large frozen shrimp, thawed, rinsed and cleaned
4 pinches Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Save the shrimp shells and tails in a freezer bag, freeze and use later to make seafood stock. If you are careful while cleaning, you can slide the shrimp meat all the way out of the tail – for me it’s kind of a game. Once cleaned, ease the shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers. Very lightly season with Montreal Steak Seasoning . I find it to be very salty when used with delicate shrimp, but the other seasonings are worth it. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Place the skewered shrimp in the pan and watch closely. When you see the flesh begin to turn pink, wait one second more and then flip over. Again, watch closely and when that side turns pink, remove from the pan. Over-cooked shrimp is rubbery and loses its succulent texture.
Serve over wild rice and wilted spinach. Or serve over a tossed salad, lightly dressed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.